This above is not Johann Sebastian Bach, of course. But it is a great picture on a website about Johann Sebastian Bach for younger children. And what this composer really looked like, we don't know for sure today anyway. There are many pictures of him, but only one is believed to be what Bach really looked like. It is that of Elias Gottlob Haußmann. But you'd best forget this name right now, please.
How did you first hear about Johann Sebastian Bach? Did you learn a piece of his on a musical instrument? Did you visit a concert and hear his name? Or did you talk about classical composers at school and that's how you "came across" him? Do you want to listen to a piece of his music first? Then you can do it here and now. To make it more exciting, we – that's my wife Renate and I – have chosen pictures that you can look at. On websites of daily newspapers, such sequences of pictures are called "photo series". Here are 33 pieces of music from this Bach ... you can choose: Choose a piece of music, even if you don't know what you are choosing ... because you certainly don't know all the titles. After that ( ! ) you choose a photo theme. Well, for kids like you, only two photo themes are really cool. In fact, the one with the little kitten and the one with the young puppies. But maybe you already like other themes that are actually meant for adults. But ... which children could also find great. For example, pictures of winter, of forests and trees, and of flowers and blossoms.
As a good example, Renate and I have chosen the kittens for you. Listen to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and enjoy the cutest kittens on earth.
But there is another way to listen to Bach's music: Here – on this website – you can quickly listen to 33 works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Always only one short piece. But 33 in only five minutes. So ... in about five minutes.
If you scroll back a bit on this page, you will see the navigation on the left. You know that, I know. Everything is clearly laid out in the navigation. If you are already six or seven years old – or even older – but not yet eleven or twelve, then this page of my website is the best for you. After all, you found it right away ... otherwise you wouldn't be here.
The next two pages on my website are meant for kids older than you. Sure, there, everything sounds a little more adult. Everything is a little bit more complicated. But still not as complicated as on a website that is only made for adults. My website for kids is different. But it's not easy to create a website for little kids, for "middle-aged" kids and for the teenagers among you at the same time. I tried it anyway, because I would like to inform about Johann Sebastian Bach and introduce him. Preferably, to all people. And that includes children, of course.
Even more: Johann Sebastian Bach made such beautiful music more than 270 years ago that it would be a pity if – until you are an adult – you never tried out how beautiful his music actually is. Because later in life you get to know so many new things that sometimes you need half a lifetime, even three quarters of a lifetime, sometimes almost a lifetime, to then – actually much too late – experience by a very big coincidence how grandiose the music of Johann Sebastian Bach is. By the way: You can also find two kinds of music, good and great at the same time. For example, the music of Bach and the music of Justin Bieber. Or the music of Bach and the music of Lady Gaga.
Another piece of music I have chosen for you children. For this I have chosen another photo series and with it, you can listen to another of the works of this Johann Sebastian Bach while looking at pictures of cute little puppies.
Now this website for children under ten makes you two offers. One is the offer to know from now on exactly where you can find out everything, really everything about the brilliant composer Johann Sebastian Bach, in fact on Bach on Bach. If you are only a little bit interested – simply because there are certainly much more exciting topics for children – then perhaps the information for somewhat older children is exactly the right one there, and you click there once. Or, you have such questions, as many children have: Who was the father of Johann Sebastian Bach? Or: How many children did Bach have and how much music did he compose? There is this very extensive website about Johann Sebastian Bach that I mentioned above. Not especially for children, but also for adults and teens. But it is also good for students and for all Bach beginners who want to learn something about the composer right now. And on this Johann Sebastian Bach website, there is a section called "FAQ". FAQ is an abbreviation for "Frequently Asked Questions". And there ... you will find "tons" of answers. This is a first possibility to learn something about the great musician Johann Sebastian Bach. Here you get to the FAQ, of course ... with one click.
Did you like the first two videos with Bach's music? Then there is now a third. But as a photo series it's something completely different this time. If you like this combination as well, and you enjoy it, then here's a suggestion how you can listen to more music by Johann Sebastian Bach in a very exciting way. Although most of the themes are chosen for adults, there are some that are certainly exciting for children as well. With one click, you are on this website about Johann Sebastian Bach for adults and older children. There you will not find three or five or ten musical works. No, there are 33, and not just any pieces of music by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are the 33 most popular and well-known musical works by him. So you can almost be sure that you like them. If ... yes, if you listen to them just two or three times. Some you just like right away. It doesn't make any difference whether you're an adult or still a child. Click above and let's go.
I know, such castles are not necessarily a super great topic for children. But it's also mainly about the music. And you can watch it for three minutes. And try it once and see if you notice how perfectly this piece of music and these pictures fit together. You can really imagine the orchestra of a prince-elector in one of the ceremonial halls of a castle at that time. Or a duke, or even a king and his beautiful bride. At a wedding.
A biography to either listen to or watch it: Such a thing is only possible created by a goofy like I am.
Renate, my wife, thought, it would be a crazy idea. I found it funny, to mix a sampler, with which you can explore 33 music pieces of Bach in just 333 seconds. Just as an appetizer. You can't get a first impression faster about the greatest music work on earth. However, don't tell your parents about that sampler (... yes you can, I am a funny maker. However, it's too hard to explain now). Plus, tell nobody about that sampler who – really – loves Classical Music.
I think, if you are between six and ten years old, then two pages of my website for adults are actually already perfect for you. That is once the area with the many questions and answers (... FAQ ... we had that already): Especially I thought about students and children in your age, when I thought up the questions. And then I had to make quite an effort myself with some of the answers. And I had to search in books. Plus, sometimes I had to ask my wife, Renate, when it came to the musician's family. Three times, yes three times, I even had to call Johann Sebastian Bach experts and e-mail them. These experts live in Eisenach in Thuringia and in Leipzig in Saxony. And they can always help you. So always ... when it comes to Johann Sebastian Bach. They are happy to help adults, but I am quite sure: If children like you ask them for an answer, they are especially happy to help. Then it's best to write how old you are. And the younger you are, the more they like to answer you. In Eisenach, I know the director and the music educator of the Bach Museum there. Two cool adults. They've helped me a lot with the other chapters, too. Yes, and those at the Bach Archive in Leipzig also support me.
However, before you click on the two links to the next two pages, please read the next chapter on this page.
The second chapter on the website for adults – that is, on Bach on Bach – is the section with a lot of music: Here you can listen to 33 pieces in full length – but also at most four or five minutes long – so none of the pieces is too long. So don't worry ... it should not become boring.
You might also enjoy the Bach videos I found on the internet for all Bach fans and for students and children. Some of them are really funny. Why don't you give them a try? Check out one of these Bach videos: some are great, some are just cool. Just click on the link here.
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Parents, Please Support the Bach Mission of Us Bachs
Yes, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, musicians, and music teachers: There is actually a calendar matching the Bach biography for children. And what is true for all music calendars from the small Publishing Company "Bach 4 You"? Three sizes. This year and next year. EU + US style.
This ad is only for parents, for grandparents, for music teachers, aunts, uncles and godparents (... but this is also true for all other ads on this website). What is an ad, is clear!? It is an advertisement. I would like people to know that. Of course, I would also like children to read my children's book about Johann Sebastian Bach. Or listen to it. If I wouldn't like that, we wouldn't have made it with so much effort. But because there are many other books about Johann Sebastian Bach, you just have to know that I am actually just offering our book here and now. Of course, we think that our biography about Bach is the best. Just for kids. And with a smile. You would too, if you had written it. Or you will, if you also write a book. And the next section is also advertising. And intended for everyone over 18 who reads here.
To this very briefly: If you are looking forward to the book, to the reading fun or the fun to listen to it with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, then read rather less on the website for adults, Bach on Bach. Here on the website about Johann Sebastian Bach for Children, on the other hand, I don't give away too much yet. I have paid attention to that. Because if you would know about everything, so what so "dangerous things" happened in Arnstadt, and what so "monstrous" – also in Arnstadt – then the book is no longer that exciting. Would you now already know what it was about the most unusual music competition in the world and of all time, or why Johann Sebastian Bach spent four weeks in prison ... or if you already knew why Johann Sebastian Bach almost didn't marry his wife ... then the book would only be "half the fun". Also, why a Bach already made music there, when Johann Sebastian traveled to one of the most important kings of the world ... all this would then not be so exciting at all.
With a click here, parents can read there which options are possible regarding a purchase of this book – in fact – all. And with one click here, grandparents can read in which variants the audiobook is offered.
Oh ... and by the way: I am very proud of this Biography for Children About Johann Sebastian Bach. Especially because in the beginning we thought we couldn't create something like that at all. To the shop.
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